FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST - PAGE 4

A month ago, I woke up with what felt like a pinched nerve in my shoulder, a clear message that my body wanted a break. For the last eight months, I've been sleeping in two- to three-hour stretches, breast-feeding and working, all physically draining activities. Still, I'd run whenever possible for a so-called stress release. And the day before my injury, I was so desperate for yoga that I took a Bikram, or hot, yoga class. The sleep deprivation prevented my body from recharging and recovering.

Arbutus Jean Paulus, affectionately known as Booty by her siblings and Jean by her friends, was a Michigan girl through and through. Of Scotch Irish descent, she was strong willed, tough, stubborn and yet full of life, compassion and faith. She was born on Aug. 17, 1934, was raised in the Upper Peninsula, was seventh in a family of twelve children, and daughter of Hugh Cook, a Coast Guard Veteran and lighthouse keeper, and her loving mother - Rubina. She spent her early years on Neebish Island, exploring the river and woods, at one with nature and yet seeking so much more.

Marcia Jensen, an occupational therapist at Chicago's Ravenswood Hospital Medical Center, deliberated for years over what to study for a master's degree. "I looked at so many programs, but none of them seemed to help much with what I actually do, which is mostly care for older people," said Jensen, 34, who lives on the North Side. She wanted to earn a master's degree to advance her career. So when Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, added a master's degree in gerontology to its psychology department in fall 1990, Jensen signed up. "I instantly thought, `That's my niche,` " recalled Jensen, who has been an occupational therapist for 10 years.

It's amazing what some kids can get their parents to do. For years, Susie Field had a secret ambition to help children with developmental delays experience the thrill of success. Then one evening she mentioned it to her children as they sat around the dinner table discussing their hopes for the future. "I was really just trying to get the conversation going," said Field, laughing. "So I talked about my dream of a theater for children with special needs. Since my own kids loved performing, I thought it would be great to give these kids a chance to be on stage, too, and feel good about themselves and what they can accomplish.

As we age, our risk of falling increases. Our feet may catch on a well-worn rug or we may miss a step going downstairs to the kitchen at night. We lose balance, strength and agility; medications may make us drowsy; or we may become dizzy after getting up from a chair as our blood pressure plummets. No one has done more to highlight the medical significance of this issue than Dr. Mary Tinetti of Yale University. The recipient of a 2009 MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant, Tinetti has spent almost two decades exploring why seniors fall.

By Janet Kidd Stewart, special to Tribune Newspapers | December 9, 2011

With the job market still sputtering and program funding drying up, many families caring for loved ones with special needs are struggling to pay everyday bills. Difficult as it is, however, they need to plan for the long term, experts say, not only for their loved ones but also for their own retirement. They will have some trade-offs, such as retiring later than planned, and possibly making difficult choices when it comes to elective treatments. Nearly seven in 10 caregivers are very concerned about being able to provide lifetime care for their dependents with special needs, according to an annual survey sponsored by the MetLife Center for Special Needs Planning.

Mladen Kovacevic was doing what youngsters typically did in Bosnia in 1993 between air raid alerts. He picked up rocks and disarmed hand grenades to throw them into a big pile. One day, though, the grenade he put in his pocket exploded, severing his right arm below the elbow and his right leg below the pelvic bone. His medical care in Bosnia was spotty. He was fitted with prostheses, but outgrew some since he was only 15 at the time of the accident. Others were not fitted properly, and for a while, he had to use a wheelchair for lack of a prosthetic leg. Still, Kovacevic persevered, deciding to remain an athlete even when his amateur boxing career was over.

Relatives and friends Wednesday mourned the mysterious death of Kurt Lange, a 26-year-old doctor who prevailed against the odds of the inner-city only to have his promising life cut short in a West Side alley. At about 3 a.m. on July 27, police found Lange in the 200 block of North Cicero Avenue. According to detectives, he was acting irrationally, speaking but not making any sense. Suddenly he stopped breathing, police said. He was taken to Loretto Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Poor posture can make you look 10 pounds heavier. It could sabotage a promotion. And slumped or hunched shoulders are a major reason why back pain affects 80 percent of Americans at some point in their life. "Poor posture isn't just disrespectful; it will ruin your spinal health and leads to a dreadful life," said Gloria Starr, an international business coach who teaches posture at her North Carolina finishing and etiquette school. When your frame is aligned — meaning your heels, knees, pelvis and neck are stacked on top of each other — it moves more efficiently, can carry heavier loads, tires less easily and is less susceptible to strain or injury.

For many of the 100 children who attended Burn Camp this summer, it was their first chance to feel normal since the searing moment that set them apart. "This camp is different than any other camp," said 18-year-old Chris Williams, who was burned years ago when he and several other small boys ignited gasoline in a bowl. Williams has come to Burn Camp from his home in Rockford since it started eight years ago. For the past two years, he has come as a counselor-in-training. "I have a lot of fun here," Williams said.